Why the Vikings will draft an edge rusher with their top pick in 2021
By Nik Edlund
Left tackle of the future is already on the roster
A lot of mock drafts and draft talk, in general, have the Vikings going with an offensive tackle or a guard who can also play tackle like Rashawn Slater or Alijah Vera-Tucker with pick No. 14 this year.
The thing these mocks are forgetting is that Minnesota’s left tackle of the future is already on the roster, making these selections moot.
The Vikings used a second-round pick in last year’s draft to get their left tackle of the future, Ezra Cleveland.
Minnesota would be foolish to select another tackle without even giving Cleveland a shot at playing the position for which he was drafted. They moved him inside to guard due to desperation a season ago, and he was stuck playing and learning a brand new position during his first year in the NFL.
The Vikings really only need help at both the guard positions. Guard isn’t a position a team addresses early in the draft unless they can land an elite and rare talent like a Quenton Nelson of the Indianapolis Colts.
Minnesota has a total of six choices in rounds three and four this year and they can use two of these picks to shore up the interior of their offensive line.
Knowing the left tackle of the future is on the roster already, the Vikings can focus on improving their pass rush at pick no. 14 and add the edge rusher they deem to be the best fit and value for their defense.